Improvingquality and efficiency should be the focus of the National Target Programme onNew-style Rural Area Building in the 2018-2020 period, stated Deputy Ministerof Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Tran Thanh Nam.

An irrigation canal in Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City, which has been recognised as a new-style rural district - Photo: VNA

Addressing a nationalconference of coordination offices for the programme at all levels in thenorthern province of Ninh Binh on April 6, Nam said that the One Commune-OneProduct (OCOP) project and a scheme on boosting science-technology applicationin rural localities will be sped up.

He said that this year, theministry will concentrate on improving production and environmental conditionsof rural communes.

The deputy minister revealedthat the MARD has developed a project to support mountainous and islandcommunes to implement the new-style rural building programme in a moreeffective manner. He also asked localities to finalise plans on building modelrural districts.

Nguyen Minh Tien, head ofthe Central Coordination Office for the programme, held that the OCOP projectis key to enhance incomes of rural people and boosting the sale of agriculturalproducts in a sustainable manner.

Tien proposed thedevelopment of a project to build a modern supply system of agriculturalproducts in 2030, with an aim to form a farm produce distribution system andensure connection between producers and consumers.

He also stressed thatenvironment is the hardest criteria to meet of the programme, along withcriteria in clean water access.

Chairman of the People’sCommittee of Ninh Binh Dinh Trung Phung suggested that more preferable policybe designed to attract more businesses to agricultural sector and enhance theeffective operation of agricultural co-operatives. Currently, Ninh Binh has 80out of total 119 communes fulfilling all criteria of the programme.

The the National TargetProgramme on New-style Rural Area Building, initiated by the VietnameseGovernment in 2010, sets 19 criteria on socio-economic development, politics,and defence, aiming to boost rural regions ofVietnam.

The list of criteriaincludes the development of infrastructure, the improvement of productioncapacity, environmental protection, and the promotion of culturalvalues.

According to the CentralCoordination Office for the Programme, as of the end of the first quarter of2018, 3,289 communes nationwide earned the recognition as new style ruralareas, up 220 communes compared to the end of 2017.

Forty-eight districts in 26centrally-run cities and provinces were recognised as new-style rural areas.